Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 92: Curiosity

Camilla stood as still as she could as William carefully pressed the dampened cloth to the side of her face. She gritted her teeth against the pain, then found herself wrinkling her nose at the unusual herbal scent. "What exactly is in that remedy?"

"It’s one of Tession’s concoctions so who can really know? It works though. I’ve used it plenty of times when I’ve received a blow from a lance or sword." William paused, looking at her with a troubled frown. "Then again, I’m not sure he prepared it thinking it would ever be used on delicate female skin."

"It does seem to be helping." The scent was oddly soothing and Camilla’s head no longer felt like it would split open from the throbbing pain.

William pulled back the cloth to look at her skin, then gently pressed it against her cheekbone again. "It already looks far less swollen." he murmured. "With a little luck, there should be no bruising."

Camilla looked up at him but he seemed to be resolutely avoiding her gaze. She figured she must look a mess.

She watched him quietly instead, marveling at his beauty. He was unshaven, which was unusual for him. She squelched the urge to run her fingers along his jaw and discover if the golden stubble was prickly or not. He’d probably think she’d lost her mind.

After a while longer, he peered at the side of her face one last time and stepped back.

"There. I think that’s the best we can do. There’s almost no mark on your skin at all now." He fumbled with the cloth and shoved it in his pocket.

"Thank you. It barely hurts at all now."

William glanced at her briefly before his gaze skipped away. The two of them stood facing each other in uncomfortable silence.

"I should head back to the banquet before anyone notices I’ve left." He stared at the ground. "You’ll lock your door behind me, won’t you?"

Camilla nodded stiffly, unsure how to fill the suffocating space between them.

He turned and started walking towards the door.

"William..."

He stopped walking but didn’t turn to look at her. "What is it?"

She hesitated, knowing that if she said the words there was no turning back. But she couldn’t stay quiet either. "Do you have to go? Can’t...can’t you just stay the night with me?"

He didn’t reply or move. At first, she though she had spoken too softly for him to hear her. Then he suddenly turned to face her and his expression was of a man wrestling with his conscience.

I guess he heard me.

Camilla had no time to think about anything else because William closed the gap between them in three long strides, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his hot mouth to hers.

She almost sobbed in relief at tasting his lips again, at being in his embrace. She wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling his mouth harder against hers. She parted her lips so that he could nip them, then felt his tongue slide in to her mouth.

Camilla’s mind was a frenzy of disjointed thoughts. In the back of her mind she knew her actions were wrong. Very wrong. A voice in her head screamed that a chaste maiden should never be alone with a man, let alone let him kiss her. Her reputation could end up forever ruined.

I don’t care about any of that, she realised. I’d rather let my curiosity kill me.

William pulled her hair slighly and tipped her head back, trailing kisses down her neck. She could feel her erratic pulse thudding in her ears. She jumped a little when he placed his hand over hers that was still clutching the sides of her torn dress together, and started slowly prying away her fingers.

"Don’t do that." She pulled back to look into his eyes and whispered haltingly.

He ducked his head and brushed his lips against her ear. "Why not? Don’t you trust me?"

She nodded despite logic telling her to do the exact opposite.

"Then let go, pretty girl." His voice was like being lapped at by warm waves. She relaxed her clenched fist and felt William easing her arm out from against her body and wrapping it around his neck. He kissed her again, this time pulling the entire length of her body hard against his. She arched against him and heard him growl deep in his throat.

Camilla felt dizzy and impatient as his tongue kept teasing hers, as if just toying with her. She raised herself on the tips of her toes and ran her fingers through his hair, along his jaw and neck. She could feel his rapid heartbeat.

She wanted more, but of what exactly? Terror and excitement battled inside her as he ran his fingertips down her back and up again.

His hands slid up her back and started tugging her dress down. It started sliding down her shoulders with ease, given how large the tear down the front was.

She brought her hands to her chest and clung to the gown to prevent it from sliding down to her waist. Her throat was dry as fear surged through her. He seemed to sense it.

"Shhhh. You have nothing to be afraid of from me." His whisper was soothing as it brushed past the shell of her ear. He stroked her back again while one hand cupped her cheek.

Camilla felt her eyes close as she gave a tiny nod. Is this what it’s like to be bewitched?

He kissed her again and when he started easing the ruined dress down her arms and waist, she didn’t protest. She felt the heavy fabric slide down and pool around her lower legs.

Standing in only her thin white chemise, she instinctively went to cross her arms across her chest. William seemed to read her thoughts. He stopped her by linking his fingers through hers, pulling her arms away from her body as he scanned her through half closed eyes.

Camilla felt herself turning red and looked down self consciously. She blushed even more fiercely when he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You are so impossibly beautiful. What have you got to be shy about?"

He brought his mouth to hers again and dug his fingers into her messy, loose hair. She parted her lips willingly for him. One of his hands brushed her collarbone then drifted as light as a butterfly’s wings down the centre of her cleavage and to her belly, before drifting back up again. He touched her as if he was afraid she’d bolt like a skittish animal.

She didn’t bolt though. She continued kissing him as her arms wrapped around his hard, muscled waist. His touches became firmer, bolder.

As his hand started to move down from her collarbones again, he splayed his fingers so that he brushed both her nipples at the same time. She gasped into his mouth.

He repeated the action until soon her nipples were achingly hard and sensitive beneath his touch. She started to shiver as his thumbs then stroked them over and over again, until they were protruding painfully under the thin fabric. One of his warm hands slid under the chemise torn down her chest and cupped her breast, his palm brushing and teasing her bare nipple until she was almost about to cry.

Camilla tilted her head back and took a shaky breath as he kissed the hollow of her neck, trying to stop herself panting. She pressed her thighs together at the uncomfortable pressure building and pulsing between her legs. The room suddenly felt searingly hot. She tried to slow her breathing down but it was impossible when his fingers were strumming her erect nipples. Another ragged gasp escaped her throat, much to her embarrassment.

When she felt him starting to lightly pinch her aching nipple between thumb and forefinger, she felt her knees weaken and she sagged against him.

Oh no, she thought in a panic. I’m going to end up on the floor at this rate. But she didn’t. She felt William’s arm around her waist lifting her slightly and guiding her slowly but firmly backwards. Clinging to his neck, Camilla was disoriented until she found herself being tipped onto her back. She felt the bed’s soft mattress beneath her.

A moment later, William hovered above her, taking his weight on his forearms and gazing down at her as if he were starving. His legs were entwined with hers and she had to resist the wild urge to wrap herself around him.

"This is wrong." Camilla whispered in a last ditch effort to halt the madness.

William raised an eyebrow, amused. "Why? Does it feel wrong to you?" He lowered himself on top of her and brushed his lips against hers briefly.

"No..."

"Then it isn’t wrong." More teasing brushes.

All the light, brief touches were about to make her scream. It struck Camilla that the purpose of all his teasing was exactly that - to break down her resistance until she was the one begging for his touch. She didn’t know whether to be outraged or just marvel at his cunning.

She felt Willian’s fingertips glide slowly under her torn chemise, down her cleavage. She let her mind turn blank again.